Multiple-speed phonograph turntable



July 11,' 1944. l R, w* SEARS, 2D v2,353,379

MULTIPLE SPEED PHoNoGRAPHmURN-TABLE f Filed Dvec. 13, 1941 n l Z2 52 a 7 20 Z529 a? 1%54 Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED sTATEs l PATENT oFr-'lcE MULTIPLE-SPEED PnoNoGaAPH TURNTABLE melma w. sem, n, Greyslake, nl.

Appuemen December 1s, 1941, serial No. 422,821

9 claims. (ci. 274-9) This invention relates to sound reproducing apparatus and more particularly to a turn-table for phonographs or the like.

In the reproduction of sound from flat or discshaped records it is necessary that the record be rotated at a speed corresponding to the speed of recordation. It has, accordingly, been the practice to record the sound at a` standard speed of rotation of the record and to provide a turn-table on reproducing machines such as a phonograph which is driven at a similar speed of rotation. While a large part of the records now on the market are recorded at this standard speed', there are also certain records available which are recorded at a much slower speed to record a correspondingly greater number of sounds for each rotation of the record.

It is, accordingly, a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive and readily attached turn-table device for a phonograph or the like which is adapted for the reproduction of sound from records recorded at different speeds of rotation.

A further object is the provisionv of a multispeed turn-table adapted to be readily and simply applied to a sound reproducing machine, such as a phonograph, having a standard speed of rotation. l

A further object is the provision of a multispeed turn-table adapted for ready attachment to an existing turn-table having a predetermined speed of operation.

Another object is the provision of a turn-table directly mountable upon an existing turn-table of standard speed and selectively operable at either the speed of the existing turn-table or at a diierent speed.

A stili further object is the provision of simple and effective means for changing the speed of a multi-speed turn-table.

Still another object is the provision of speed changing mechanism for turn-tables which is disposed substantially entirely below the turntable.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the attached drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing an embodiment of a turn-table constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the parts in a secondoperative position.

Referring to the drawing-which illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention, reference numeral III designates the housing of a phonograph or like sound reproducing apparatus having a shaft II extending upwardly therefrom. A

y turn-table turn-table I2 provided with a record centering plug or projection I3 is mounted on the shaft II for rotation therewith. 'Ihe table I2 is the usual record supporting turn-table provided with a phonograph apparatus, and is adapted to be rotated at a constant speed by a drive mechanism (not shown) located within the housing I0. This speed, for example, may be approximately 78 R. P. M. The parts thus described are standard equipment on present phonograph apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention, a turn-table device is` provided which is adapted for operation at different speeds, and in the illustrated embodiment the construction is such that the device can be directly seated upon the turn-table of an existing machine, such as vthe turn-table I2 above described. To this end a I4 is provided and is rotatatbly mounted on a base member I5. The base member I5 is adapted to be rotated at the same speed as the shaft II, and, as illustrated, comprises a relatively flat portion IB of substantial area which merely sits on the top of the turn-table I2 with the projection I3 of the tum-table providing a center for the base member. The portion I6 of the base member thus frictionally engages the upper msurface of the turn-table I2 and is rotated at the same speed as the turn-table I2 upon rotation of the shaft I I.

An upstanding hub member II is provided on the base I5 and supports a hub or sleeve merrber I8, which is xed thereto by a pin I9 and-is provided with a hollow interior adapted to be removably received over the centering plug I3. A plug 20 is rotatably received within a seat 2I provided in the upper `portion of the member I8 and provides for rotatably supporting the turntable I4 on the member I8. The plug 20 is also provided with an upwardly extending projection 22 which serves as a centering member to locate hlceriter of a record with respect to the turn- ,The member I8 also provides a journal for an arm 25 provided with a bearing portion 26, which is rotatably mounted on the member I8 above cated at 21, to provide a gear having teeth 28.

A gear 29 is rotatably mounted upon the arm 2-5, as indicated at 30, and has meshing engagement withthe teeth 28 of the gear 21 provided on the member I8. The gear 29 also has meshing engagement with an internal ring gear 3| xedly attached' to the turn-table Il, as by rivets 32 and provided with internal teeth 33 which mesh with the teeth of the gear 29.

'I'he arm 25 extends outwardly beyond the ring gear 3| and is provided with a laterally extendlng ann 35 at its outer end.` A multi-iingered member indicated generally by the numeral 36 is pivotally mounted upon the outer end of the :arm 25 as indicated at 31. The member 133 comprises angularly related finger portions 33 and 33 and an arm 43 provided with an upwardly extending brake shoe 4I adapted to engage the outer peA riphery of the ring gear 3 I.

A spring 45 is tensioned between a pin 43 provided on the portion 35 of the ,arm member 25 and a pin 41 provided on the finger portion 39 of the member 33. 'I'he pins 43 and 41 are so located' with respect-to the pivot axis 31 of the member 33 that the spring 45 tends to urge the -brake shoe 4I into engagement withthe outer periphery of the ring gear 3| when the parts are in the location shown in Fig. 1.

The member 33 is adapted-however, to be rotated about its pivot 31 in a clockwise' direction, as viewed in Fig. 1,*to move the brake 4I away fromthe ring gear 3|. This movement of the member 33 is effected by engaging the inger portion 38 of the member 33 with a nger of an operator and manually moving the finger 38 downwardly. A stop member 43 provided on the finger portion 39 and engageable with the arm 25 provides for limiting'this movement oi the member 33.

Upon movement of the nger member 33 clockwise and downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1, to move the brake shoe 4I away vfrom `the ring gear 3|, Vthe spring 45 is so arranged as to snap over the pivot 31 and maintain the stop member 43 into engagement with the arm 25. In this position the brake member 4I is entirely disengaged from the periphery of the ring gear 3|, andthe member Y 33 assumes the angular position shown in Fig. 3 with respect tothe arm 25.

When the brake 4I is in engagement with the ring gear 3|, as shown in Fig. 1, the gears 21, 23 and 3|, together with the arm 25, are locked against relative rotation and the entire mechan ism including the turn-table I4 is rotated as a unit about the axis of the turn-table in accordance with rotation of the shaftV II and the turn-A table I2. This rotation is such as to move the. turn-table in a clockwise direction, as indicated bythearrowinFig. 1. v Y Y Upon manual movement of the member 36 to the position shown in Fig. 3, however, a stop pin 50 'provided on the finger member 39 is moved into a position to be engaged bya ilxedV stop 5| carried by an arm 52 rigidly attached to 'the vents rotation of the -member 33'and the larm 25 -about the axis of the tumLta-"ole when lthe A I shaft II, turn-table -I2 andlbasemember I5 are rotated. v Y

With'the arm 25 thus locked against rotation and the brake means 4Iv released, the turn-table mately 34.2 R. P. M., whi'ch is a desired speed forrrotating certain records having more than the usual sound recordings arranged ralong each 'circumferential groove of the record.

The mechanism just described drives the teeth the rotation of the turn-table I2. 'I'his in turn drives the gear 23 in a counter-clockwise direction,..an'd since gear 23 mates with the internal counter-clockwise direction. 'Ihe rotation of gear 3| in a counter-clockwise direction is transmitted directly to the turn-table I4 and, accordingly, it also is driven in a counter-clockwise direction. 'Reversal of the direction of rotation of the' turn-table I4, it will readily be understood, may be accomplished in any conventional manner as by a reversal of the parts. 1

When it is desired to again rotate the turntable I5 at the same speed as the shaft I I and turn-table I2, it is merely necessary to engage the nger piece 33 by an operators nger and manually move the member 33 from its position in Fig. 3 to its position in Fig. 1. This causes the brake member 4I to again engage the ring gear 3| under action of the spring 45 and moves the stop pin 50 out of engagement with the xed stop 5I. All of the parts, including the arm 25, are thus again free to rotate as a unit about the axis o f the turn-table.

A multi-speed turn-table for phonographs and the like is thus provided, which may be very simply and readily applied to existing phonograph apparatus. A simple and effective mechanism for lrotating a turn-table at various speeds is provided. The speed changing mechanism is located substantially entirely beneath the tum-table. The entire device can be applied by merely placing it on the top of a constant speed turn-table.

Changes may -be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby ref served to make all lsuch changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1.fA turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member, an arm rotatively mounted on said member, a gear xed to said member for mtation therewith, an internal ring housing I0 as indicated atV 53. The stop51 in cooperation -with the stop pin 50 therefore pre- .'23 on extension 21 in a clockwise directionwith .Y teeth 33 on gear 3|.-it, too. will be driven in a gear attached to said turn-jtable and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, and` an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the iirst named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said rst named gear with said ring gear. 1

2. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member, -anarm rotatively mounted on said member,l a. gear fixed to said member for rotation therewith, an internal ring gear attached t0 said turn-table and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the first named -gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear with said ring'gea'r, and brake means carried by said arm and movable into engagement with said ring gear for locking said ring gear and said arm togetherfor rotationwith said member. Y

3. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at a t y predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member, an arm rotatively mounted on said member, al gear iixed to said member for` rotation therewith, an internal ring gear attached'` to said turn-table and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, an-

idler gear.carried by said arm in theplane of the iirst named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said rst'named gear with said ring gear, brake means can'ied: by said arm and 4. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a `member adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member for rotation about an axis, an arm rotatively mounted on said m'ember, a gear fixed to said member for rotation' therewith, an internal ring gear attached to said turn-table and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the first named gear and the ring gearfor interconnecting said first named gear with said ring gear, a member pivotally mounted on said arm for movement about an axis substantially parallel with said axis of the turntable, brake means carried by said pivotally mounted member for locking said ring gear and said arm together for rotation with said first named member, means on said pivotally mounted member and extending laterally thereof for manually moving the member about its pivot to release said brake means, and stop means for maintaining said arm against rotation upon release of said brake means.

5. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said memberV for rotation about an axis, an arm rotativelymounted on said member, a gear fixed to said member for rotation therewith, an internal ring gear attached to said turn- Itable and lying in substantially the same plan'e as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the iirst named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear With said ring gear, a multi-armed member pivotally mounted on said'arm for movement about an axis substantially parallel with said axis of the turn-table, brake means carried by said multi armed member for locking said ring gear and said arm together for rotation with said first named member, one of the arms of said multiarmed member extending laterally of the member and providing for manually moving the member about its pivot tov release said brake means, a

second arm of the last named member being pro-v vided with a stop member, and a fixed stop cooperating with said stop member for maintaining said first named arm against rotation upon release of said brake means.

6. A turn-table for phonographs, or the like lcomprising a member adapted to be rotated ata predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member for rotation about an axis, an arm rotatively mounted on said member, a gear xed to said member for rotation therewith, an internal ring gear attached to said turntable and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the planeo! the first named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear with said ring gear, a member pivotally mounted on said arm for movement about an axis substantially parallel with said axis of the turn-table, brake means carried by said pivotally mounted member for locking said ring gear and said arm together for rotation with said first named member, means on said pivotally mounted member and extending laterally thereof for manually' moving the member about its pivot to release said brake means, stop means for maintaining said arm against rotation upon release of said brake means, and means including an off-center spring formaintaining said brake means in either a braking or released position.

7. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member for rotation about an axis, an arm rotatively mounted on said member, a gear fixed to said member for rotation therewith, an internal ring gear attached to said turntable and lying in substantially the same plane as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the first named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear with said ring gear, a multi-armed member pivotally mounted on said arm for movement about an axis substantially parallel with said axis of the turn-table, brake means carried by said multi-armed member for locking said ring gear and said arm together for rotation with said first named member, one of the arms of said multiarmed member extending laterally of the member and providing for manually moving the mem-` ber about its pivot to release said brake means, a second arm ofthe last named member being provided with a stop member, a fixed stop cooperating with said stop member for maintaining said first named arm against rotation upon release of said brake means, and means including an off-center spring connected between said first named arm and one of said latter named arms for maintaining said multi-armed member in either a brake engaging position or a stop engaging position.

.8. A turn-table for phonographs or the like comprising a member adapted to be rotated at Y named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear with said ring gear, cooperating stop means between said arm and a fixed support for maintaining said arm against rotation, and manually operable means for selectively engaging or releasing said cooperating stop means.

9. A turn-.table for phonographs or the like comprising a housing, a member mounted on the housing and adapted to be rotated at a predetermined speed, a turn-table rotatively mounted on said member, an arm rotatively mounted on said member, a gear fixed to said member for rotation therewith, an internal -ring gear attached to said turn-table and lying in substantially the same'plane as said gear, an idler gear carried by said arm in the plane of the first named gear and the ring gear for interconnecting said first named gear with said ring gear, brake means for locking said ring gear and said arm together for rotation with said member, a fixed support on Ithe housing, cooperating stop means between said arm and the fixed support for maintaining said arm against rotation upon release of said brake means, and manually operable means for selectively engaging or releasing said brake means and said cooperating stop means.

, RICHARD W. SEARS, II. 

